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Thursday, June 26, 2014

Slightly off the family mealtime topic, this is part of the whole person who I am, and more important.I've recently been reminded, in the way I'd rather not, to pray for my friends' children's faithfulness and obedience to the Lord and for all my married friends to be faithful to God and to each other. This isn't the first time a shock has given me this reminder, but I realized I'd fallen away from this petition when I pray through my list. As I was praying one day not long ago, I wondered how I could remember to keep that as one of my requests, even for people I least expect needing it.

Then I thought, well, that could be my Friday special request. I'd be able to remember because of the F in both words.Since I have a "rotating" prayer list, this would probably mean that everyone on my list would at sometime over the period of a couple of months have faithfulness prayed for them. (I'll explain how I do my prayer list in another post.)Then I figured I should think of some quality or characteristic to be prayed each day of the week. Since that day was a Tuesday, I asked God what I should pray for that began with T. The word that came to mind was Tough. Yes, I thought it was a strange word to be praying as well. But as each person's name came up on my list I thought of "toughness" needed in a different way in their lives.So I started thinking of how I could use this for each day of the week. As I pray for my family and others, so you could use a list similar to this as well. Ask God what you should be praying for in the lives of those you love--and yourself! Feel free to use some or all of my ideas, but maybe you'll have some ideas of your own as well.Here are the qualities, and some of the ways I have thought of to pray for the various people on my list, to develop them in their lives. I don't pray every area for everyone, but these are some of the ways I have interpreted these general areas in the lives of the various people in my family and around the world whom I pray for. Sunday--Sensitivity, the ability to listen; the ability to remember similar situations in their own life as those they are talking with; think before they speak; ask questions of others to draw them out; listen more than talking; willing to sit with someone without demanding they talk; more grateful, less critical.Monday--Mission, define purpose for now, for life; know God's will for job, studies; be open to new areas of ministry; re-evaluate how they are spending time on a daily basis; seek God's will about goals; try to work toward goals at least one step per week; know where to live; what lifestyle God wants for them; how to spend their money.

Tuesday--Tough, be strong in their own emotional make up; be strong in the dependence on and trust in the Lord; be strong in their convictions; strong enough to realize they need God; tough in their convictions about the truth; tough enough to stand up to persecution; tough in their love (disciplining children, expecting faithfulness and care from their spouse); tough on themselves in self-discipline; tough enough to get up and go to church when no one makes them; tough workers; tough on themselves in their use of time.Wednesday--Wisdom, that they would know God and revere Him as that is the beginning of wisdom; that they would saturate their minds with scripture and glean their wisdom from there; that they would be aware of worldly wisdom and not begin to practice it; that they would be wise in each decision they make throughout the day; wise with money; wise with time; wise with friendships; wise with love; wise in setting goals; wise in whom they seek advice from.Thursday--Thirsty, (this came from Matthew 5:6, "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.") Thirsty for the truth; thirst after righteousness; thirst for God's will; thirst for Christian fellowship; thirst for what is eternal; thirst for the knowledge of God; thirst to please God with their lives; thirst for contentment; thirst for a balanced life; thirst to abide in Christ.Friday--Faithful, to God; in marriage; to their children; to their parents; in their work; in their ministries; in their responsibilities; to their goals and purpose; to keep their word; to obey God; to use their God-given talents and spiritual gift; faithful to pass on to others what they have learned.Saturday--Self-Control (self-discipline), in their thought life; in their actions; in their words; in their exercise; in their diet; in their use of time; in their witness; to over come fears (1 Tim. 1:7); to step out of their comfort zone when God nudges them; with their money; with what they watch; to work; to study; to help others; to not seek only their own comfort.Of course, I continue to pray for other qualities and needs in their lives, but this is one way to add important values to my prayer life.

Thursday, June 19, 2014

In the city of Lima, Peru, there's a light house with a green grass park around it. Lighthouses are fascinating and spark the imagination. And a park with nice grass, that was a rare find in Lima in the 80s. So we often took our supper down there to enjoy looking at the ocean, run around the park, chase each other around the light house, watch ships sailing by, and have a family meal together.When the weather is warm and the kids are off school is a great time to do something special for family meals. And there are all kinds of great ideas. Here are seven ways to "Take it Out".

1. Carry Out -- That's what we did in the lighthouse park. I made some simple one dish meal that we could easily eat while sitting on a blanket along with tangerines or carrot sticks, sippy cups for drinks, and cookies for dessert. Any park will do, from the city park around the corner to the park by the lake an hour away. Bring some balls or frisbees or Bocce Balls (our family favorite) and enjoy the time together. As long as you are away from home, you are going to have enforced togetherness.

2. Grill Out -- Whether you have a hibachi or built in gas grill, and if you eat shrimp and steak or hot dogs, cooking and eating outside give you a chance to hear the birds sing, kids playing, a car driving past with bass booming, and, of course, someone mowing their lawn nearby. Something special after dinner (iced coffee drinks?) keeps everyone lingering longer to enjoy the outdoors.

3. Grill Further Out -- Take it further from home to a nearby park where grilling is allowed. We have a great park in our town overlooking a lock and dam in the Mississippi River where we've enjoyed some wonderful family times. "Remember the time the "ladder balls" got stuck in the tree? The game of getting them down was as much fun as the original game!" Perhaps there are trails to walk along in a park near you. And a kids outdoor scavenger hunt is always a great diversion!

4."Move" Out -- Do you have a "video" projector? Take it outside and show a dinner movie on the side of your house, a sheet, or even an outdoor screen. Invite friends and neighbors for extra fun! Another variation of this is a drive in movie, if you still have one in your part of the world.5. Concert Out -- In our town there are two parks with free concerts where you are encouraged to bring your dinner beforehand for a picnic and then listen to the local talent. In the bigger city, where my son lives, there's a Concert Park dedicated to this during the summer. You have to pay, but you get to hear professional musicians. Either way it's a lot of fun! Look in your local paper for possibilities.6. Play Out -- Where my parents live they have "Shakespeare in the Park" one evening a week during August. We've gone there with our supper in a basket to enjoy the park, feed the ducks, have dinner together, and then try to figure out the Bard. Maybe there is something like that in your area.

7. Shout Out (or Take Me Out to the Ball Park) -- Our church has a softball league and they love to have fans. It's pretty easy to pack a simple dinner and go cheer the team on. They might even win with the extra encouragement!

What can you do to make a summer evening meal extra special?

Can you plan an "event" once a week for your family this summer?

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Thursday, June 12, 2014

I love having my house filled with guests!Sure, it's work and it can be expensive, but I am most comfortable in my own home and I strive to make others comfortable here too. That makes having people in my house the easiest way for this introvert to get to know people better.

I had quite a few guest over and around the Memorial Day weekend and I thought I would show you what my menus were to give you some ideas. Where possible, I give you the link to the recipe.Wednesday Dinner - for 5Cranberry Chicken(So, so easy! And everyone always likes it!)Brown RiceRoasted Asparagus(Except I only use 1-2 Tablespoons of olive oils and use a silicon spatula to make sure the asparagus is well coated.)Roasted Roma Tomatoes(This link doesn't actually have Roma Tomatoes, but it has directions for lots of other veggies. I cut my tomatoes in half lengthwise, coated with olive oil, sprinkled with salt, pepper and parmesan cheese and roasted at 450 for about 5-8 minutes.)Thursday Dinner - for 7Slow-Cooker StroganoffEgg NoodlesRoasted Green BeansRoasted CarrotsCanned Beet SlicesPudding Eclair "Cake"(I use sugar free because I can't have sugar and no one complains!)

Saturday Breakfast - for 9French ToastStrawberriesBananasSaturday Lunch - for 7Pasta SaladOlive Oil and Rosemary BreadFruit SaladSaturday Dinner - for 7Homemade Pizza (I froze the crusts ahead of time, see link!)Green saladGarlic BreadSunday Breakfast - for 7Cinnamon Rolls (I made them earlier in the week and froze them, otherwise they wouldn't happen before church!)Scrambled EggsSausageCantaloupeStrawberriesSunday "Dinner" (Noon Meal) - for 7Slow Cooker Beef Daube Provançal(One of the most delicious ways to serve stew type meat. I think the name means "French Beef Stew!")Egg NoodlesLemon Green BeansWaldorf SaladBreadPudding Eclair "Cake"(Yes, I repeated a dessert. So easy, so good, plus it was a different set of people, except for my husband and daughter and they didn't complain!)

Then came the sad time my son and his family had to leave, rushing out by 8 a.m. to get him to the airport in Chicago on time for his business trip flight. Unfortunately, he was in O'Hare for 11 hours because his flight was cancelled and they couldn't get him on another one until late at night. At least he was on an expense account!

Friday, June 6, 2014

I took three weeks off to have two burst ear drums and 10 days of house guests. I hope you missed me! If you did, please let me know by writing to me. If you have questions for me to help you with about your mealtime issues, or suggestions for topics for me to touch on, pleaselet me know. Thanks!I'm always amazed by the Apostle Paul when he says,

I'm afraid my motto runs more along the lines of,

I learned early on that our example is our biggest impact on other people. When we had been on the mission field a year I gave birth to our first child. An older missionary came to visit and I have always remembered one of the things she said to me. "The Peruvian mothers will be watching you to see how you raise your child. You might think they aren't and they won't say anything until your children are older. But they will be watching you."I felt like that was a pretty heavy responsibility to carry. What did I know about being a mother? I certainly wouldn't have said to them, "Imitate my mothering." I felt like my daughter-in-law said many times when she was a new mother, "I'm making this up as I go along."

I think the thing that scared me most about this was that there was much to my life I didn't want people to see! How about all the times I desperately didn't know what to do, when the baby kept crying or the diaper rash covered his whole body and I didn't know what to do and the doctor told me it was pure neglect! The baby wasn't the only one crying then!But I found out they were watching. And the missionary was right, they didn't tell me until I had some of my kids already out of the house.But as a follower of Christ, one who tries to obey Him and live as He would have me, an important question is raised: do I have things I do want people to see?

I'm pretty comfortable about the success of our family mealtimes. I could suggest that you follow my example there. It includes so many areas of family life: chores, getting to know your kids, manners, getting to know others, and devotions. It's important!From May 21-31 this year we had a houseful of friends and family, sleeping as many as 11 in the house. That fills every bedroom, my husband's office, the family room, and our granddaughter even sleeps in our closet! Our guests come from Israel, Jordan, Kenya, New York, and Illinois. One of them doesn't even speak English. Three of them I never met before they arrived at my house.

You can bet this includes lots of meals. As a result I've been on Pinterest looking for recipes and grandkid ideas. That got me thinking that I could use Pinterest to help you with your family meals even more. If you follow me on Pinterest, you'll find boards labeled "Recipes--Tried and Liked," "Slow-Cooker Recipes--Tried and Liked," and "Grandma Ideas," among others. I write notes about the recipes after I've used them--how I substitute ingredients (because I can't leave a recipe alone). These notes are for me, but I'm happy to share!So I can say "Follow Me" -- on Pinterest!

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Next Week: I will share full menus for all the guests with you including side dishes. I find thinking of a variety of veggies and salads one of the hardest parts of planning meals. What do you find the hardest?

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